Southern Community Financial Corp. in Winston-Salem, N.C., warned Tuesday that its provision for loan losses would increase to $6 million in the second quarter because of accelerated chargeoffs.

A thrift would become part of a commercial bank under a stock deal two New Jersey companies announced Tuesday.

If successful, Guaranty Financial Group Inc.'s bid for open bank assistance could pique the interest of private-equity firms in other ailing companies — but that's a big if.

Habersham Bancorp in Cornelia, Ga., said Monday that its bank unit has entered into a cease-and-desist order with the Department of Banking and Finance.

Joshua Siegel has been busy lately. The managing principal of StoneCastle Partners LLC hosted a daylong workshop in New York this month on how private-equity firms can find and acquire community banks. Last month he gave pointers to 50 Pennsylvania state bank examiners on analyzing risk at banks.

Guaranty Financial Group Inc. in Austin said Monday that it expects to fail unless the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. takes the rare step of assisting the $14.4 billion-asset company with a deal.

The bidding war over CNB Financial Corp. in Worcester, Mass., has a winner.

The difference between CAP and CPP is much more than a letter, and Citizens Republic Bancorp Inc. of Flint, Mich., may become the first company to reap the benefits.

Amcore Financial Inc. in Rockford, Ill., announced Friday that regulators have imposed higher capital requirements on its bank unit.

To the list of things dividing large and small banks, add the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Citing trouble with its construction loans, Cascade Financial Corp. in Everett, Wash., said Thursday that it expects to report a second-quarter loss of $19 million to $21 million.

Consider this simple question: Why does the government restrict the ability of pension funds, mutual funds and other kinds of institutional investors to invest in most banks? Banks are an industry in which "capital is king." Institutional investors control most of the world's capital. Their interests do not inherently conflict with banks'. So why put barriers between them?

An Idaho start-up bank has called off a private-equity deal that it had hoped would help it reach profitability.

MIDWEST

At least seven community banks have taken the Treasury Department up on its offer to make bigger capital injections under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Still in a capital pinch, AmTrust Financial Corp. of Cleveland is selling more of its Ohio branches.

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida is preparing to raise capital through a common stock offering, with one goal being to resume paying dividends on its government infusion.

Yadkin Valley Financial Corp. has benefited from a serendipitous turn of events.

Regulators are threatening to seize the critically undercapitalized Community National Bank of Sarasota County in Venice, Fla.

Shares of First California Financial Group Inc. dropped Monday after the $1.47 billion-asset Westlake Village company said that higher loan losses caused it to revise its first-quarter results and swing to a loss.